RWBY: Blazing Hope
by WatchThisNaxxSpace
Summary: An amnesiac comes to Beacon in the hopes of finding answers about his past. Would he find what he seeks in his journey? Or will he forge out a new path with the friends that he makes? A loose adaptation of RWBY featuring an OC-centric plot. Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note 2.0:**

**Hello and welcome to my story!**

**I had this idea for a couple of weeks now, and somehow convinced myself to actually go and write it.**

**I'll be following close to canon, and at the same time adding a few tweaks.**

**I will be uploading between Friday and Sunday, unless work pops up or it's a holiday.**

**Do note that this story will contain OCs, so if you don't like it, you've been warned. So don't go and post negative comments about OCs 'cause you've been told.**

**RWBY is Rooster Teeth's property, and does not belong to me. Whatsoever. At all.**

**Wish it did though. Although OCs should count as intellectual properties...**

**Nah, if Monty wants them, he can have them. I'll even pay him to have them.**

****With that said, please Rate &amp; Review, it helps out a bunch!****

****Have a good time, and have a wonderful day!****

**P.S.: This is not, and will never be, a lemon.**

**Too sappy for my taste.**

* * *

**RWBY: Blazing Hope**

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

_Darkness._

_Long ago, the people of Remnant were on the brink of extinction._

_The people were constantly besieged by the forces of darkness, otherwise known as the Grimm. Every day was a brutal fight for survival; the people lived in fear of the black void that surrounded them. It was a dog-eat-dog world; some were willing to turn their backs or even betray if it meant surviving for just one more day._

_Hope seemed lost, until one day a gift, a boon of wondrous properties, was procured and given to the masses._

_This gift came to be known as Dust, aptly named after the mythical cradle of origin from which humanity was born._

_Many believed the gift to be from the heavens, while others thought it was an elaborate trap from the abyss. Regardless, with this newly founded treasure mankind was able to forge weapons of immense power to push the Grimm back to where they came from._

_After turning the tide against the Grimm, humanity took advantage of their obtained freedom to build and spread civilization across all known land._

_And so the fire of hope was rekindled. Remnant is now at peace, the fires of civilization burning bright in the four kingdoms. To help maintain peace, hunters and huntresses are trained to fight Grimm, at highly specialized schools such as Beacon and Signal._

_But the abyss is a never-ending source. Even over thousands of years of fighting did nothing to stop the waves of Grimm. They were an infinite army; and even the mightiest of warriors will fall under an unstoppable force. Civilization may fight back, but they cannot withstand an army with no end; an army with an unshakeable thirst for blood. Without destroying the source, mankind could do little to stem the Grimm flood._

_Soon, the fires of humanity will flicker and fade, and in the absence of light…_

_Darkness prevails._

* * *

Chatter of passengers filled the air as the Dustship docked at one of Beacon's many skyports. The ramp finished descending; many eager souls rushed out of the ship to explore what would be their new home for the next four years, while some were just glad to be on solid ground again. Regardless, all made their way to the school's courtyard, admiring the view along the way.

All, except one.

The pilot, while inspecting the Dustship's cabin for missing valuables, found him, still dozing off on one of the cabin's many seats. His face was obscured by the hood of a black-and-purple long cloak. Underneath the cloak, the teenager wore a ragged plain shirt and brown cargo pants. Beside him was a black messenger bag and a long purple sheath, holding a sword with the length of a cane.

_If anything this boy looks more like a hitchhiker than a student of Beacon_, the pilot bemused.

He shook himself out of his thoughts; he was already behind time, having to clean up the heaved-up lunch of some poor soul, and was due to be back at Vale's main skyport within an hour. So he proceeded to, in a not-so gently way, prod the boy awake.

The boy jumped with a start, the hood falling back to reveal unkempt short black hair and crimson-red eyes that shone of intelligence. His mouth was thin, quickly turning into a small frown when seeing the source of his rude awakening. With an irritated tone the boy asked,

"Where am I?"

* * *

**I swear, how do I find motivation for this but not motivation to do my math?**

**On a more on-topic note, if you have suggestions and/or feedback, please leave it in the review section! Any constructive criticism about my story will be appreciated and contribute towards a better reading experience.**

**Thank you for the cooperation and have a pleasant week!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:**

**And here's the next chapter! Apologies if the first one was too short.**

**Kudos to a certain guy for giving me ideas for an OC. You know who you are.**

**Any suggestions regarding story events, side plots and characters will be appreciated.****  
**

**Anyway, please R&amp;R and without further ado, roll the chapter!**

**RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, Monty Oum, blah blah blah legal nonsense and whatnot.**

**Update: Made some minor adjustments towards the end of this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Lost**

"Where am I?"

The pilot was momentarily taken by the teenager's question, wondering how one could be so unaware of his surroundings, before composing himself and answering back.

"What do you mean where are you? We've just arrived at Beacon."

The boy's look of irritation turned to one of utter confusion, before realization slammed into him like the tail of a Deathstalker.

"Ah."

Jumping off onto his feet so fast that the pilot fell back on his rump, he hastily grabbed his belongings and rushed off towards the ramp, before skidding to a halt and spinning around.

"Thanks old man!" he shouted gleefully, raising a fist in the air before turning on his heels and rushing towards Beacon's courtyard.

The pilot watched running boy become a black-and-purple speck in the distance, before losing sight of him when he turned a corner.

_I'm not that old. I'm only 50-ish, _the pilot thought bitterly to himself.

Dusting himself off, he made his way back to the cockpit before a thought struck him.

_I wonder if that boy knows how to get to the main hall?_

* * *

It took him 15 minutes of running around the courtyard before he admitted to himself that he was hopelessly lost.

_Geez, what a pickle you got yourself into_, he chuckled darkly to himself.

_Waiting for someone to come along and help doesn't seem to be likely, but wandering around didn't seem to be such a good idea either_, he reasoned to himself. _But then again, I can't just sit here and do nothing; I'll be late for the induction ceremony. So I should - _

His thought process was abruptly cut off when he heard loud voices around the corner.

_Oooooh. Voices mean people, and people mean help_, he thought happily to himself, walking quickly towards the source of the chatter.

* * *

_These people won't be of much help_, the boy thought dejectedly.

In front of him were two complete strangers, both in a heated argument with each other.

The boy on the left was tall and medium-built, matched only by the huge silver spear that hung on his back. He had raven hair, with a small silver highlight above his right eye. He was wearing what appeared to be Beowolf-hide armor that covered a white shirt and brown hide pants.

The other boy was wearing a dignified green suit, with a chestguard around his left shoulder. Judging from the boy's posture and sense of air around him, the bystander came to the conclusion that the boy must have came from a wealthy background. A collapsible green bow adorned with amplification crystals was slung across his shoulders, clashing horribly with the boy's short brown hair.

Apparently, these two were in the same predicament as him, and were busily arguing about it.

"Admit it, we're lost Allister," Tall Boy growled.

"My dear Reynold, we're not lost, we're merely…off-track," Allister answered in a condescending tone.

"Ain't that another word for lost, Pretty Boy?" Reynold shot back.

"Well at least I'm not just complaining about it, you uncouth barbarian," Allister argued.

"What did you call me, you up-stuck noble?"

"Do you have dirt in your ears, you unintelligent buffoon?"

"Moron."

"Dastard."

Those two would probably have gone at each other till dawn, were it not for a small, red-and-black blur that came crashing into Reynold.

"OW! What the – Hey, get off me!"

The blur turned out to be a small brunette with gleaming silver eyes wearing a black blouse and a red clock, and was closely followed by a heavily panting blonde wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and a white chestplate.

"Please, Ruby." Blonde Boy said between gasps. "Don't leave me in the dust like that."

The girl, Ruby, wasn't listening, but instead was giving all of her attention to Reynold's spear.

"Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh ~ is that a High Caliber Dragon Spear Cradle Silver Edition?" she practically drooled.

Stunned silence.

"Err… yes?" Reynold stuttered, momentarily taken aback by the girl's question.

"So shiny…" the girl fawned, caressing the spear as if it was a fluffy animal, instead of a giant metal stick of death.

Feeling a need to dispel the awkward tension, the boy in purple coughed into his hand, surprising everyone and snapping the girl out of her stupor.

"Oh… er…yes. Sorry 'bout that. Name's Ruby Rose," she said, sheepishly grinning.

"…Rudford Reynord, or Rudy for short," Reynord replied, still in shock.

"Allistar Vern, my dear lady," Allister interjected, his tone changing from condescending to flirty.

"Jaune… Jaune Arc," the blonde responded, still panting and wheezing from chasing Rose.

"And what's your name?" Ruby asked the last boy, all other eyes turning onto him as well.

"Alexis. Alexis Maven," the boy replied, before turning to Rudford and and Allistar.

"You guys lost too, huh?", inquired Alexis, causing the two boys to look down and shuffle awkwardly.

"I thought so," he mumbled to himself, before turning to the other pair. "You two have any idea where we are?"

"Nope," the small girl happily replied.

"I thought you knew," Jaune answered, no longer having trouble breathing.

Alexis sighed, resisting the urge to facepalm. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**Not sure whether I'm characterizing Ruby properly, but I feel that if she sees a badass weapon, she's gonna freak out.**

**Such a weapon otaku.**

**See you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:**

**Well, we now saw 3 OCs, and they don't seem to be slowing down do they?**

**Officially this story now has more people reading it than I actually know in real life.**

**Ahahahaha...haha...ha.**

**I'm am a sad, sad individual.**

**I need to get out more.**

**On a happier note, I reached the 100 viewership mark for this story!**

**Dawh, you guys are the best.**

**As always, please R&amp;R this story, it really helps me out.**

**Without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Speech**

"So she blew up the Schnee heiress, huh?"

"Yup, saw it all before my own eyes. Isn't that right, Crater Face?"

"Don't call me that, Vomit Boy."

"Hey, motion sickness is a genuine medical condition!"

After discovering that, much to the chagrin and amusement of all those present, the scrolls had a preinstalled map of Beacon Academy, the group of five finally managed to locate and reach the amphitheater, which was brimming with the new arrivals.

Rudy and Allistar went their separate ways as soon as they got into the hall, each unable to stand the presence of the other, leaving Ruby, Alexis and Jaune by themselves to look for seats.

"Ruby! Over here!"

Turning to the source of the voice, Alexis saw a blonde girl waving her hand in the air. She was wearing a dark-brown-and-gold vest above a yellow top that left little to imagination, as well as black short shorts below a white skirt.

"I saved you a spot!" she continued, waving Ruby over.

"Oh! Er… hey I gotta go. I'll see you after the ceremony!" Ruby chirped, already rushing off towards the blondie.

"Hey wait!" Jaune cried out, looking lost and confused.

"Well, I'll see you then," Alexis mimicked, making his way towards a solitary seat.

"Not you too!" Jaune protested, earning a quiet chuckle from the other boy before he disappeared into the crowd.

"Ah, great", the blonde boy muttered dejectedly to himself.

"Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?"

* * *

"I'll…keep this brief."

Ozpin's voice, though soft-spoken, had a commanding presence to it; snapping Alexis out of his deep thinking; bringing Allistar and Rudy from their current argument; and dragging Ruby from her self-pity after taking a brutal tongue-lashing from Weiss.

To be expected of Beacon's most esteemed headmaster.

"You have travelled here in search of knowledge – to hone your craft and acquire new skills – and when you have finished, you plan on dedicating your life to the protection of the people," continued Ozpin, standing tall on the stage in front of the new students.

"But all I see is wasted energy – energy in need of purpose – direction."

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at Beacon will prove that knowledge can only take you so far," Ozpin stated, before pausing.

One could almost hear the thoughts of the students in the silence, many of them contemplating how they were lost in the grand scheme of things. Before long, Ozpin opened his mouth again, wrapping up his speech.

"It is up to you to take the first step," he finished, before turning around and walking off the stage.

_Well, that was…odd_, Alexis wondered. _Isn't he supposed to be more…lively?_

_But then again, Ozpin's known for his surprises_, he mused, smirking slightly before turning his attention to the blonde woman in white that has taken Ozpin's previous position.

"You'll gather at the hall tonight at 9.30 sharp. If you wish to tour the campus or have any questions, feel free to approach any of the staff for assistance. Tomorrow your initiation begins. The schedule for the initiation timings will be sent to your scrolls soon. Be ready. You're dismissed," the lady spoke in a business-like manner, before following the same path as Ozpin.

_A tour sounds like a good plan; prevents me from getting lost again, _Alexis reasoned, rushing off to convince his new acquaintances to come with him.

Unknown to him, someone was watching him, dark-blue eyes shining with shock and recognition, before narrowing in hate.

* * *

Unfurling the school-issued sleeping bag, Alexis was looking forward to a good night rest. Not bothering to change into his nightclothes like the rest of the students, he instead opted to wear what he was wearing before.

_Today was certainly interesting,_ Alexis thought as he walked towards the water dispenser. _Met a good variety of personalities, especially that Ruby girl. Wasn't she the one that took on Torchwick's henchmen all by herself? And her sister Yang doesn't seem that bad of a fighter herself. Rudford was certainly nice to talk to, while Allister seems a bit too… upstuck. Jaune seemed like a good person; maybe I should go talk t – _

Alexis' thought was interrupted once again when someone grabbed his shoulders, turning him around and landing a fist onto his right cheek.

He yelped in pain, losing his balance and tumbling onto the floor. Shocked by the sudden aggression, Alexis was unable to react as the stranger grabbed the lapels of his cloak and violently slammed him against the wall. Holding him at eye level, dark-blue meeting crimson, the stranger snarled, her tone dripping with hateful venom.

"What are YOU doing here?"

* * *

**Well, that got out of hand quickly.**

**Who is this mysterious lady, and what does she have against Alexis?**

**You'll just have to wait, like the patient people you are.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:  
So this might be the second-last consecutive post for quite some time. Gotta catch up with school work after all!**

**As usual, please R&amp;R, it really helps out alot.**

**Onwards to the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Skywards**

Alexis grumbled under his breath, clearly upset by the turn in events.

Of course his initiation is scheduled at the same time as that girl, and of course he would be standing right next to her at the cliff edge overlooking Emerald Forest, all the way at the end of the line.

He could feel the penetrating, venomous glares aimed at him by the girl, and frankly he was getting both annoyed and creeped out by it.

_The Dust creators or whatever divine beings must be laughing at me right now,_ Alexis lamented.

* * *

_[Begin Flashback]_

"_What are YOU doing here?"_

_Eyes refocusing, Alexis could now clearly see his assailant, his breath caught in his throat._

_To say that he was awestruck by her appearance would be an understatement._

_Shining long blue hair, complementing the blue-and-white yukata that was wrapped around her well-defined figure, she held a dignified air around her. Her face was like a diamond, well sculpted from her eyes, down to her thin lips and sharp chin._

_Alexis would've been smitten by the beauty in front of him, if he wasn't so scared shitless and currently pinned to the wall._

"_Wh – what are you talking about? I've never seen you befo –"_

_His sentence was cut off, as she began violently shaking him by his lapels._

"_What do you mean, never seen me before, huh? Do you need another blow to your head? WELL?" she screeched, causing a few hushed whispers from the watching bystanders, before several voices cut them off._

"_Sissy, let him go!"_

"_What's going on?"_

"_Cloak boy, you okay?"_

_Imaginary Nevermores flying around his head, Alexis quickly regained his vision and assessed the situation._

_His aggressor wasn't shaking him anymore, but instead was glaring at the three figures in front of them. He noted Yang and Allistar, but didn't recognize the third boy, though judging from what he called her and his similarly colored hair; he assumed that they were both siblings._

"_Sissy, let him go," he repeated, albeit in a more commanding tone. "People are staring."_

_"Bu-" she started, before being cut off by her brother._

_"Sissy, now."_

_Muttering darkly, the girl reluctantly dropped Alexis, causing him to fall to the ground with an 'oomph', before stomping off towards the sleeping area, scattering the observers in her path._

_"Nothing to see here, move along now!" Yang ordered the crowd to disperse. _

_Alexis didn't pay attention, still watching the blue girl stride off, before noticing a gloved hand in front of him._

"_Here, grab my hand."_

_He obliged, being lifted by the kinder blue-haired figure. He almost looked like the other girl, except for his more masculine features and a pair of cat ears on the top of his head. He was wearing more modern sleepwear; a blue singlet and matching sweatpants._

"_Thanks…um…" Alexis stated questioningly. _

"_You may call me Strom, and that lovely lady was my sister, Laci," the man replied goodheartedly, patting Alexis on the back._

_"Alexis...my name is Alexis."_

_"Heh, Alexis huh? I should probably go, before she causes more trouble. I'll see you around."_

_Alexis nodded silently, watching the man walk off in the same direction. He then turned to the other two, Allistar and Yang staring off into the distance._

"_He's kinda hot," Yang chirped, unperturbed by recent events._

"_What did you do to have such a lovely lass throttle you?" Allistar drawled to Alexis, ignoring Yang's inappropriate comment._

_Alexis turned his gaze back to the sleeping accommodations, catching a glimpse of a blue yukata, before it disappeared among the sea of bedrolls._

"_I wish I knew."_

_[End Flashback]_

* * *

Alexis snapped out of this reverie in time to catch the last of Ozpin's speech.

" – 'll be flung into the forest."

_Wait, what?_

"You'll be using your own strategy to land safely. Once you reached the forest and met up with your partner, make your way to the ancient temple in the north, where you'll be required to take a relic. Be sure to destroy everything in your path, or you will die," Ozpin continued.

_WHAT?_

"Now are there any questions?" Ozpin finished.

_Yeah, I got a bunch!_ Alexis panicked. _Like what's this about partners? Or dying? Or being flung off a 50-metre cliff?_

Before Alexis could speak up, Ozpin walked away, and immediately he heard the grinding of gears beneath his feet.

"Aw, sonofabit – "

With a clank and a sproing, he was gone, flying through the air and screaming curses along the way.

* * *

Completely taken by surprise, Alexis counted himself lucky that he managed to land in a bush without breaking anything important, or losing any limbs.

_Next time, don't go off daydreaming in a middle of something important_, he mentally scolded himself, before hearing the rustling of leaves behind him.

Turning around and unsheathing one of his swords, he braced himself for a pack of Beowolves, or a Ursa Major.

Instead, a girl with long hair, decked out in a blue battle robe, rolled out of the bushes, looking around before her gaze found Alexis.

For the second time in twenty-four hours, dark-blue met crimson, an awkward silence growing between them.

"Ah shit."

* * *

**That was so obvious, if you didn't see it coming you're even more blind than a batmole.**

**Sorry if it seemed short; had to do some work.**

**See you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:**

**This will probably be the last chapter for a week, cause I got schoolwork to do.**

**That's all I have to say really.**

**As always, R&amp;R, and thanks for the support so far!**

**And now, charge forward to the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Partners**

"…and our last pair seems to be Strom Kyros and Vachi Blaine. Boy's going to have a hard time communicating with that silent girl," Glynda Goodwitch concluded.

"What about our first pair, Alexis Maven and Laci Kyros? Have they reached the temple yet?" Ozpin questioned.

"…I think it would be best for you to see it yourself."

Taking the offered scroll, Ozpin swiped through the surveillance videos until he found the desired one.

_Hmmm, _he thought with a wry smile while watching the clip, his expression confusing Glynda. _This is turning out to be an interesting cohort._

* * *

"What's your name?" Strom asked, looking at the purple-haired girl in front of him.

"Vachi," the girl replied in a monotonous voice.

"So… I guess we're partners?" Strom said slowly, feeling the awkwardness growing.

The girl, dressed in a desert garb and a brown wide-brimmed hat, didn't respond, instead only giving him the smallest of nods before going back to her stiff posture.

"We should probably get going, should we?" Strom babbled, trying desperately to break the ice.

"…"

"Yeah…we should probably get going."

* * *

"Why the hell did I have to pair up with you?" Rudy snarled.

"I, too, am put off by the current arrangements, but what are we to do with the cards we are dealt?" Allistar sniffed, attempting to cloak his displeasure but failing.

Rudy's retort died in his throat when the pair heard a girly scream in the distance.

"Hark, is that the lovely sound of a fair maiden in distress? We should go – "Allistar started, before getting smacked on the head by Rudy.

"Can it, we don't have time for heroics. Let's just get the relic and cheese it out of this forest."

* * *

"OH GOD, SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Alexis rushed through the thicket, desperately trying to escape the monster chasing him.

"COWARD! CRAVEN! I NAME THEE! COME BACK HERE AND ANSWER ME!" Laci screamed, keeping up with him despite lugging a golden-black greatsword in one hand.

"CAN YOU STOP ATTACKING ME, PLEASE? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!" Alexis cried back, self-preservation overtaking his usual calm demeanor.

"THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! AND YOU DARE SAY THAT?"

"WHY ME?"

* * *

Meanwhile, two twins, both wearing near-identical outfits, were staring at a rather large, golden object poking out of the ground.

"Is this the relic we're looking for, dear Olivia?" the first twin spoke in a curious manner.

"It might be, sister Louise," squeaked the second, fidgeting slightly.

"Okay, on the count of three, we grab it," Louise asserted, moving confidently towards it, Olivia following nervously behind her.

"Right, you ready? One, two, three!"

* * *

Strom and Vachi gazed at the ruins in front of them, the relics visible on the ancient pedestals.

"Think this is it?" Strom asked, but getting no response from the quiet girl.

Sighing softly to himself, he walked forward to one of pedestals, and peered closely at the relic on top of it.

_Chess pieces?_ Strom wondered, staring at the white bishop in front of him, before grabbing it and placing it inside his pocket.

At that moment, Alexis stumbled out of the undergrowth, wildly spinning around before spotting Strom and grabbing him by his shoulders.

"Oh thank the heavens! Strom, you have to hide me!" Alexis quavered, his voice hoarse from all the shouting he has done.

Before Strom could respond, Laci stomped out of the forest, livid in the face and carrying the greatsword on her shoulders. Alexis gave a small 'eep' and hid behind Strom, using the blue-haired faunus as a meat shield.

"There you are, you sniveling creep," she snarled at the cloaked boy, making her way towards him. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused for me?"

"Sissy, hold on just one second. What trouble are you talking about? You just met hi – "Strom started, surprised at seeing his sister so agitated.

"Shut it, Strom," Laci cut him off, her voice strained. "One way or another, he'll be answering my questions."

"Oh, so chasing me around with a giant sword while screaming death threats is your idea of asking questions? That is such a good way of making friends," Alexis sarcastically retorted from behind Strom's back, his patience finally worn out from being chased and insulted. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Don't you talk to me like that!"

"I'll talk to you however I want!"

"Guys, please just think this through!" Strom jumped in, attempting to defuse the rapidly degrading situation.

"Screw this!" Laci shouted, ignoring her brother and holding the greatsword in her hands. "I'll beat the answers out of you!"

"Fine, then," Alexis growled, stepping out from behind Strom and unsheathing his sword. "Let's settle this with blood; that sounds like such a smart idea."

"Ahem," a small monotone voice popped out, disrupting the tense situation.

"What?" the two combatants screamed, turning to the purple-haired girl.

The girl didn't bother to reply, instead pointing in the direction of the forest.

Strom, Alexis and Laci turned towards the forest, now able to hear the sounds covered by their argument. Screaming, gunshots and a guttural roar replaced the loud tension that have had once filled the air.

Rudy and Allistar stumbled out of the brush, disheveled and weapons drawn, closely followed by a pink-haired girl holding a staff. Behind them, a giant black hairy leg appeared from the forest darkness, adorned with Grimm markings and golden metre-long spikes. A grey-haired girl was holding on one of the spikes, screaming for dear life.

"THIS ISN'T THE RELIC, OLIVIA! IT ISN'T!"

* * *

**Gee, giant hairy leg. I wonder what it could be.**

**See you next week!**


	6. Chapter 6

**And with this chapter, Initiation is over!**

**In other news, I managed to get 500 views for this story! Yayyyy~**

**Thanks for all the support so far, and as always, R&amp;R, maybe even favorite it if you enjoy the ride so far! (Not that you're obliged to; you're your own person. Shouldn't take orders from a guy writing stuff on a computer.)**

**Also, what is up with all the guest reviews? It's not that hard to make an account guys. I'll feel better if the reviews come from actual people, not just some anonymous wall.**

**Besides that, I put a small reference in the story. Lets see if you can find it. Winner gets a cookie! (Cookie not provided.)**

**Now, letsa go!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: SALV**

Strom, Alexis and Laci could only stare in horror as the beast came out of the forest, finally revealing its hideous maw.

Ten black legs, each the size of a tree with bristling hair and golden spikes, haphazardly poked out of a bulbous body, Grimm marking adorning every inch of it. Eight eyes, all out of proportion and shining red, stared hungrily at the initiates, its mandibles clicking dangerously and dripping venom.

"Is that a…" Laci started, gaping at the monstrosity a couple of feet in front of them.

"A Nightweaver? Yeah, I think it is," Alexis deadpanned, gritting his teeth and grasping his sword with both hands. "What the hell happened in there?"

"The hell I know? One minute we're walking in that goddamn forest, the next we're running with girlie here from that bloody thing!" Rudy shot back, nudging his head towards the pink girl while switching his weapon into gun form.

Allistar didn't respond; too busy focusing on the giant arachnid that was staring down the hunter initiates.

"That is a big one…" the newcomer, a thin girl with short pink hair wearing a similarly coloured dress, whimpered, cowering behind her staff.

"Well then…" Strom said, snapping out of the terror that gripped the group. "First order of business is saving that girl."

"And after that, then what?" Laci whispered as loudly as she could.

Before Strom could reply, the Nightweaver roared, toxic spittle flying everywhere, and barreled forward towards the group.

"Aw, motherfu – "

Before Rudy could finish his sentence, a gunshot rang out from behind them, the bullet piercing one of the Grimm's many eyes, causing it to scream in pain and stumble, flinging the grey-haired girl a few feet away from the rest. Turning around, they saw the desert girl gripping a brown speckled rifle, smoke coming out of the barrel.

"Well that's one way of dealing with that problem," Strom said, breaking into a grin. "Think you could delay it for a few minutes?"

The girl didn't reply, instead nodding before breaking into a run towards the monster while separating her rifle into two smaller machineguns.

"Alright, Allistar, help that girl up. Rudy, grab a relic for yourself and another for those girls. Alexis and Laci, get a relic too." Strom quickly ordered, before spinning around to the trembling girl in pink. "What's your name?"

"Ol – Olivia," the nervous girl squeaked out.

"Okay Olivia, name's Strom. Can you fight?" Strom questioned her, getting a small mumble of assert in return. "Mind helping out my partner for a bit?"

The girl nodded and stepped forward, waving her staff in the air, summoning a Dust glyph and sending lances of light towards the Nightweaver.

"I must thank you for helping me and my sister, good sir," a voice quipped up. Strom turned to the new voice, which belonged to the new girl, dressed in a similar garb as Olivia, albeit more grey. "My name's Louise."

"Good to see that you're alright, Louise. Name's Strom," he replied.

"Not wanting to break up this little conversation, but we got the relics," Alexis jumped in, having returned from the temple with Allistar, Laci and Rudy behind him. Pressing a relic into Louise's hand, he continued, "Now what's the plan?"

"Now?" Strom answered, a predatory smile forming on his face while drawing twin hammers from his hip. "We fight."

"That's your plan to take down Itsy not-so-Bitsy over there?" Rudy nudged towards the spider, which was currently engaged in battle with the gunner and the mage.

"Err…no?" Strom replied, his smile wavering for a second.

"Well thank goodness, 'cause I have one," Alexis butted in, cutting off Rudy's retort. "All of you listen up."

* * *

Vachi clicked her tongue as she jumped out of the way of the Nightweaver's many swipes. Her bullets weren't piercing the Grimm's carapace, and the mage wasn't making it easier as she dodged another lance that missed its target.

"Sorry, sorry!" Olivia blurted out, getting flustered over her mistakes. "Why do I keep missing?"

The gunner didn't respond; too busy focusing on the beast in front of her as it towered over the pair, clacking its mandibles together.

"Oh, we're never going to win this!" Olivia panicked, as the Nightweaver roared at them again.

"Both of you, get down!" a voice cried out.

Instincts kicking in, the girls dived to the ground, while the monster turned towards the new voice, only to be greeted with a blast of concentrated energy to the face. The beast screaming and flailing in pain, Olivia and Vachi quickly got up and turned towards their savior.

"Boosh! How you like pure white Dust, you stupid bug!" Rudy hollered, the tip of Pale Luna smoking slightly.

"Okay, Rudy and Allistar, keep that Nightweaver pinned down! Olivia and Vachi, go assist them! The rest of us, on Strom's mark we attack that thing!" Alexis ordered.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Laci smirked, her anger towards the cloaked boy momentarily abated.

"Why am I in the frontguard again?" Louise questioned, gripping her sickles nervously.

"Now!" Strom roared and charged towards the recovering Grimm, closely followed by Alexis, Laci and Louise.

Before the Nightweaver had a chance to register the new attackers, they were already beneath it, with Laci swinging away at the beast's belly with Gigant Bane, while Alexis channeled his aura into Solzeal before slashing at the legs. Louise was carving nicks with her sickles Mire and Pyre, whereas Strom bludgeoned at one of the legs with Wrath while blasting away at another with a Storm. A few metres away, Vachi, Allistar, Rudy and Olivia were raining arrows, Dust and raw bullets at the beast, many of their shots meeting their marks.

The Grimm roared in pain and frustration, and attempted to swing one of its many barbed talons at the attackers. However, they managed to dodge the strike and quickly resumed their assault. With each passing minute, the Nightweaver's movements were slowing down, exhausted by the hunters' onslaught.

"It's getting tired! Laci and Alexis, do it now!" Strom commanded. "Allistar, pin it down!"

The archer complied, notching Astral Hail and firing a torrent of arrows at the Grimm legs, pinning them down and making it screech in pain.

At the same time, the greatsword user twisted her sword so that it was facing flat-side up, pooling her aura into her arms as Alexis jumped onto her sword, gathering his remaining aura into his sword.

"After all this is done, we're going to have a little talk," Laci muttered, a small smirk etched on her face.

"If it doesn't involve giant swords and dismemberment, sure," Alexis promised. "Let's finish this."

With a mighty grunt, Laci pushed her sword upwards, flinging the boy towards the Nightweaver's head. Letting out a warcry, Alexis swung his aura-charged sword horizontally, cleaving the head off its body. It fell to the ground with a sick thud, black smoke beginning to emit from its corpse. Landing on his feet, Alexis stared at the body of the Nightweaver, the rest gathering behind him.

"So, we done here?" Alexis turned towards the group, grinning widely.

* * *

"Allistar Vern. Rudford Reynold. Olivia Felicia. Louise Felicia," Ozpin announced.

Alexis stifled a yawn and barely kept his eyes from going shut, having used most of his aura in the fight. Turning his attention back towards the stage, he witnessed the formation of team VLOR, lead by the ever-insufferable Allistar.

"C'mon, we're up next," Strom nudged Alexis awake and motioned him to follow, Vachi and Laci already behind him.

"Strom Kyros. Laci Kyros. Alexis Maven. Vachi Blaine," Ozpin called, giving them the cue to step onto the bright stage.

"The four of you retrieved the Black Knight pieces. From this day forward, you'll be known as team SALV," Ozpin continued, giving the four a warm smile. "Lead by… Strom Kyros."

Strom looked both shocked and pleased by the announcement, while Laci giggled softly at her brother's expression. Vachi remained stoic as ever, and Alexis punched Strom on the shoulder lightly.

"Nice work, boss," Alexis mocked, the new team leaving the stage for the next group.

"Please, don't call me that," Strom groaned while rubbing the area where Alexis punched, still sore from the fight.

"Whatever you say boss," Alexis joked, making his way towards the showers.

* * *

Alexis let out a sigh of contentment as he stepped out of the showers, having changed into his sleepwear with his purple cloak around him. Whistling softly to himself, he checked his scroll to make sure he was heading in the right direction to the dormitories.

_So go pass Classroom 02B_, he wondered to himself, walking to his room.

All of a sudden, a hand shot out and grabbed Alexis' collar, yanking him into an empty room with an 'eep'.

"Oh god, please don't kill me!" he whimpered, raising his arms above his head as the door slammed shut.

"Oh shush, you," a familiar voice quipped. "No dismembering, remember?"

Lowering his arms slightly, Alexis was greeted with the sight of Laci wearing the same yukata she wore yesterday. Remembering how she looked last night, he barely managed to not blush before composing himself.

"Yeah, right. So you wanted to talk about what?" Alexis began.

* * *

**So the next chapter will be somewhat of a look into the first days of all the teams, from questions to room arrangement to bonding to stuff like that.**

**Don't worry, as soon as I'm done with that, I'll go back to the storyline, so unclench your buttcheeks.**

**See you next week!**


	7. Side 1

**AN:**

**Thought the next chapter you'll read would only be next week? Well PSYCH!**

**That's all I have to say really, besides updating the last chapter by actually giving the weapons names.**

**Also, what is up with you guys shipping RudyXRuby. Their names were a coincidence, really. That's all.**

**You know the drill, R&amp;R and all that good stuff.**

**Without further ado, I present the first Side Chapter.**

* * *

**Side 1: First Days**

**Questions and Answers**

"I don't know where to begin," the bluenette started, pacing up and down the star-lit classroom before stopping in front of Alexis.

"Can you honestly look at me in the eyes and tell me you don't know me?" Laci questioned, a tinge of trepidation in her voice.

"I don't recognize you," Alexis answered, not breaking eye contact with the girl.

They stood for several seconds, their gazes almost penetrating, before the blue girl shut her eyes and sighed wearily.

"I believe you," she said tiredly, slumping onto a tabletop.

"I'm sorry, have we met before?" Alexis asked, sitting opposite Laci.

"Yeah. A long time ago," she replied.

"How?" he pressed on. "Were we, like, together-together?"

"What?" Laci yelped, a slight tinge developing on her face. "No, not like that. But... we're really close."

"Oh."

"We're good friends for a really long time. Then one day, you just... upped and left. No goodbye letter or an explanation why."

"Was that the reason you punched me in the face?"

"Kind of, yeah."

A short silence sat between them, before the boy decided to break it.

"For how long?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How long have I known you?"

"Around 7 years, before you left - "

"2 year ago?"

"How did you know that?" Laci asked suspiciously.

"It's just... I may have an explanation, however crazy it sounds," Alexis started.

"Better a poor attempt than no attempt." she claimed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"... About 2 years ago, I woke up in some hospital. Doctors diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia." he revealed.

Laci quietly gasped, shocked by the sudden turn in events.

"What happened?" she asked.

"No idea. Some lady found me lying in some alleyway, all bruised up and dirty." he continued. "Wandered around Vale for some time, before I bumped into Professor Ozpin a year ago."

"Wait, the Professor Ozpin? As in, the headmaster of Beacon?"

"Yeah, same guy. Told me I looked lost, and then offered me a place just like that."

"That's sounds... inconceivable."

"Tell me about it."

Another brief silence covered them like a blanket, the starlight still flooding into the empty dark room.

"But... I trust you." Laci declared, yawning slightly and stretching her slender arms above her head.

"Really. Why?" Alexis asked curiously.

"I dunno. Call it instinct or intuition or whatever. That fact is I trust you. I always have."

"And what about chasing me around Emerald Forest and shouting death threats?" Alexis teased.

"Eh. Pent-up emotions tend to do that to me."

A third silence enveloped them, the room becoming slightly darker as passing clouds blocked the twinkling stars.

"... Thanks."

"For what?"

"For trusting my unbelievable story, when nobody else would. For remembering me all this time, even though I can't remember you." he continued, looking at the bluenette with a grin on his face.

Laci smiled slightly, a small laugh bursting from her lips.

"Heh. No problem."

* * *

**Living Conditions**

"This is a problem," Strom finally said.

"…Okay, I give up. What's the problem?" Laci gave in.

"The deplorable conditions of Team SALV's room!"

The "deplorable conditions" that Strom was referring to were the arrangements of the beds.

"It's not that bad," Alexis reasoned. "Vachi's not complaining."

"That's because she ditched her bed and hung up a hammock!" Strom argued, pointing at the ceiling, where the quiet girl was currently reading a book on her hammock, either ignoring or not paying attention to the conversation below her.

"Our beds are fine. They're not in horrible condition or anything."

"But there is no space to move around. These damn beds take up too much space!"

"Well, what do you propose we do?" Laci butted in, exasperated by arguments.

"We should do what RWBY did: Bunk beds," Strom announced.

"What, those deathtraps? No thanks," Alexis rebuked.

"Then what about VLOR?"

"Allistar hired a constructor and renovated the entire room. We don't have that kind of money."

"Argh, this is going nowhere!" Laci yelled, red in the face from frustration and stomping towards Vachi's abandoned bed.

"Wait, what are you –"

SLASH!

With a single deft movement of her sword, Laci cleaved the bed into pieces. Opening the window, she proceeded to dump the remains of the bed outside, which landed onto the courtyard with a crash.

"There, space," Laci said simply, sheathing her weapon and brushing her hands. "Any of you got complaints?"

* * *

**Cards and Chatter**

"…I'll fold," Ren muttered after a moment of contemplation.

"You can't keep folding every time!" Jaune shouted.

"Yeah, it ruins all the fun," Strom concurred.

"Methinks Ren has terrible luck with the cards," Rudy stated bluntly.

"There is no such thing as luck, my good Rudford. There is only – "

"Shut up Allistar, it's your turn," Alexis deadpanned.

"Bah, you do not have a sense of theatrics," Allistar muttered.

"Whatever, just hurry up," everyone else chimed.

When the girls of RWBY, JNPR, VLOR and SALV have (forcibly) captured VLOR's room for the purpose of a sleepover, the guys decided to invite themselves over to JNPR's room for a round of poker, using dares as a substitute for lien.

"Fine, I'll call," Allistar drolled, pushing some chips towards the pile.

"Call," Strom mimicked, followed by Jaune and Rudy.

"…Raise," Alexis finally said, pushing more chips into the centre.

"Goddamn it," Strom growled, tossing his hand facedown.

"Fold," Jaune sighed, followed by Allistar and Rudy.

"Aw, where's the fun in that?" Alexis mock-pouted, adding the spoils to his growing pile.

"What fun? You won 5 rounds in a row!" Rudy proclaimed.

"Not my fault your poker faces are easy to read. Strom, it's your turn to shuffle."

"I hope the girls are actually having fun…"

* * *

'Where is it?"

"Will you stop that? It's rude to rummage in others' belongings!"

Meanwhile, at VLOR's room, Ruby was rummaging every nook and cranny to find…

"Here it is!" she triumphantly shouted, holding Rudy's shiny spear above her head.

"Ruby, stop that!" Weiss screeched at her partner. "Yang, do something!"

"Eh, she'll get tired."

"How could you be so irresponsible?"

"Ruby, please put it down. You're scaring Olivia," Pyrrha informed, the pink-haired girl cowering away from the brunette's antics.

"Fine," Ruby groaned, ceasing her caressing and delicately putting back the weapon where she found it.

The majority of the girls were convened at the centre of the newly renovated room, talking about themselves; Blake was making small talk with Vachi, who had brought her hammock along.

"Wow, you known Ren that long?" Laci questioned.

"Yup. We've been friends for_ sooooooo_ long. It's like we're together. But not together-together," Nora rambled.

"I see…" Laci muttered, thinking back to her conversation with Alexis.

"Why are you so down? From what I saw, Nora's not the only one that's known someone for a long time," Yang teased.

"What on Remnant do you mean?" Laci shot back.

"C'mon, I saw it all! What did Cloak Boy do to make you so mad?" the blonde smirked. "He's your ex or something?"

"W-what?" Laci stuttered, growing beet-red. "Th-that's not it!"

"Sure," Yang mocked, glee evident on her face.

"We're childhood friends! That's it!" the bluenette shouted, her blush intensifying.

The other girls, excluding Vachi and Blake, stopped their own chatter to watch the conversation between Yang and Laci.

"Right, that's it," Yang snarked, her smirk growing even wider. "Childhood friends punch each other and shake them by the collars. How could I forget that?"

"I-it's complicated," Laci whined.

"Really? Because we got time, my dear," Louise purred predatorily. 'I want to know every juicy detail."

"W-well…" Laci stuttered, but jumped at the sound of knocking on the door.

_Thank goodness_, she sighed, grabbing the doorknob and opening it for …

"Alexis? What are you doing here?"

"Oh. Err… hi," the boy squeaked, not looking at her in the eye.

"Cloak Boy, we're just talking about you! Come on in!" Yang shouted.

"Err… no thanks. I just need to ask Laci something…"

"Well, you can ask in front of everyone! It's not like it's embarrassing or anything!"

"Is there something wrong?" Laci asked, staring at the boy's face. He was beet-red, and seemed to be in a cold sweat.

"Well… that's…" Alexis muttered.

* * *

"You can't expect me to ask that!"

"You lost fair and square," Allistar mocked, the others nodding in agreement. "Now go to the girls' room and ask the question."

"Fine," Alexis growled, making his way out of the room.

"And make sure you ask the person that opens the door!" Strom called after him.

* * *

"The thing is… well…" Alexis started, looking in every direction but Laci's.

"Well, what?" Ruby chirped.

"Yeah, don't leave us hangin'." Yang called.

"Well…er… I'm supposed to ask the first person I see," he stuttered, finally turning his gaze to the bluenette.

"What is it?" Laci pressed.

"Um… I need to know your…" he mumbled, the last words unintelligible.

"My what?" she questioned .

"… Your three sizes." He blurted out, unable to take it anymore.

Those three words caused the entire room to go silent, an awkward atmosphere covering all of them for a couple of seconds.

Then the dam broke.

Yang, Louise and Nora immediately broke in crazed fits of laughter.

Olivia fainted, and Pyrrha began trying to wake the poor girl out of unconsciousness.

Ruby looked confused, while Weiss made a disgusted look.

Blake stared on curiously, and Vachi just turned back to her book, ignoring the entire situation.

But Alexis paid no heed to that, a cold chill running through his body as he looked back at Laci, who stared back at him with a grim look, her hands already balled into fists.

"W-what d-did you say?" she stuttered, blushing furiously and fists shaking violently.

"W-wait a second, Laci! I-it's not what it looks like! Don't hurt me!"


	8. Chapter 7

**AN:**

**Holy shit. 1000 views.**

**Seriously, thank you guys for the support so far, it has been really fun.**

**Except for this chapter. This chapter sucked balls. I considered ignoring scenes from both parts of 'The Badge and the Burden', which I consider the most boring episodes of Season 1 , but I thought 'meh, screw it'.**

**So yeah, my procrastination and my non-existent motivation to write this particular bit is my reason why this chapter is delayed. Also I had a bunch of stuff due this week. I also figured out I screwed up the RWBY timeline for a bit, so that put me in a slump as well.**

**This is the timeline I'll be following:**

**Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 occurs on the first day (Imma gonna say it was a Friday) at Beacon. (Episodes 'Ruby Rose' to 'The Shining Beacon, Pt 2')**

**Chapter 4 - Chapter 6 occurs on the second day at Beacon. (Episodes 'The First Step, Pt 1' to 'Players and Pieces')**

**Side 1 occurs between the night of the second day and the night of the third day. (Between Episodes 'Players and Pieces' and 'The Badge and the Burden, Pt 1')**

**Anyway, a 1000 views for this story. Really, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Maybe I should do something special... 'hint' 'hint' 'nudge' 'nudge'**

**Here's the REAL Chapter 7! Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Lessons**

_7.35am_

To say that the atmosphere at the table is awkward was an understatement.

The three boys of VLOR and SALV wilted guiltily under the glare of Alexis, one of his eyes a lovely shade of purple. Laci refused to make eye contact with him, a little pink in the face. Louise would giggle loudly every time she looked at the bruised boy, while Olivia was wolfing down her food at an alarming pace.

Vachi wasn't present at the table; she left to the classrooms a couple of hours earlier. Team RWBY and JNPR were also not there, no doubt still in their rooms.

"Umm," Strom started, only to be silenced by a glare from Alexis.

"…Forget it."

"I'm still not sorry," Laci huffed, arms crossed and staring in the opposite direction.

"My eye is sore. I have a migraine. Louise won't shut up," Alexis growled, glaring at the still giggling girl. "You not being sorry is the least of my concerns, Laci."

Laci simply hmphed at his comment, still refusing to look at him and earning even more giggles from Louise.

"Geez, what's up with Grouchy?" Rudy murmured to his neighbors.

"It seems that we discovered the question's recipient," Allistar whispered back.

"He asked my sister about her bust size?" Strom questioned, raising his voice loud enough for the nearby tables to hear.

This was too much for Louise, who broke out into loud guffaws, drawing even more heads towards their table. Olivia took the opportunity to finish gobbling her food and jumped away from the table, muttering a quick goodbye before running away from the unwanted attention.

"What the hell, Strom?" Laci screamed, blushing even more.

"Nice going, boss," Alexis deadpanned, rubbing the sides of his head in frustration.

* * *

_8.12am_

"Alright, alright! I said I was sorry! Now stop hitting me!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, you idiot! You embarrassed me in front of everyone!"

"That doesn't mean you have to hit me!"

"Oh, shut up."

"Can we argue 'bout this later? I think we're lost."

* * *

_8.27am_

"I'm pretty sure it's this way. No wait, that way."

"Just admit it girly. We're lost."

"We're not lost! We're – "

"Off-track? Allistar tried that once."

"Well, it was true."

"Shut up – wait a minute, where's Olivia?"

* * *

_8.43am_

"Oh no, I'm lost!"

* * *

_8.50am_

"…"

* * *

_8.55am_

"– say 9am? It's 8.55, you dunce!"

* * *

_8.59am_

"We're … here!" Strom groaned, arriving at the entrance of their classroom.

They have ran around for half an hour before realizing that there was a map of the entire school on their scrolls. By then, they were on the opposite end of the compound.

"And with only a minute to spare," Laci panted, sliding onto the floor.

"Looks like we're not the only lost sheep."

"Hey, Allistar. Where's Olivia?" Alexis gasped between breaths.

"No idea. Last time we saw her was at the canteen," Rudy replied. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Got … lost," Strom admitted, doubled over with exhaustion.

"Well, Olivia better be here soon, or else – "

"S – sorry guys, I'm here!" the pink girl squeaked, skidding to a stop in front of them.

"Well everyone's here, now let's g – "

"Outta way!" someone yelled out.

"What the …"Rudy remarked, turning towards the sound …

Only to find the members of RWBY and JNPR hurdling towards them.

"Brace for impact!" Nora gleefully whooped.

"Aw, Sonofab – "

"UWAH!"

With a bang and a smack, the four teams collided with each other, causing the classroom doors to open with a crash as they tumbled onto the floor with the grace of a drunk Ursa.

"Ughh…"

"Get off me, you idiots!"

"Who's sticking their elbow in my ribs?"

"Aw, was that it?"

"Ahem."

A purple-clad witch stared at the group on the floor, a stern look on her face.

_9.00.15am_

"You are late for class," she informed them.

* * *

"Good morning, first-years. My name is Glynda Goodwitch and I'll be your Dueling instructor for the next 4 years," the green-eyed huntress spoke.

"For these 4 years, I expect you to be combat-ready and punctual for my lessons," she continued, pausing to shoot a stern look at the accused, who hung their heads guiltily.

"Dueling is not something to be taken lightly. Many have been seriously injured during lessons in their time in Beacon, to the point where they had to drop out permanently. You must be vigilant of your surroundings as well as your own physical and mental state. There is no shame in stopping a match if you feel that you cannot handle it," she concluded her introductory speech.

"Now then, for today's lesson we will not be starting on dueling," Glynda instructed, to the disappointment of some. "Rather, I want to first check that your weapons are properly maintained. Ben, our Weaponsmith, will help out in inspecting your equipment."

She gestured towards a rather gruff man in the corner, who had with him several intricate tools.

"After that is finished, I will be going through the basics of dueling, before you are released from class. You may start," she finished.

* * *

"Geez, what happened to this pile o' scrap?" Ben snorted in a deep voice, inspecting the sword and shield in his hands.

"It's a hand-me-down, sir," Jaune squeaked, staring on as the Weaponsmith poked at Crocea Mors with a delicate-looking needle.

"Well, it checks out alright. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it disintegrated tomorrow," Ben sneered, tossing it back to its owner who caught it with a yelp. "Next!"

* * *

"… The hell is this?" Ben questioned, holding Crescent Rose in his hands, a magnifying visor attached to his eye.

"It's a highly customized sni – "

"Yeah yeah, whatever. It looks to be in pretty tip-top condition."

"That's because I maintain it every day. And talk with it. And sometimes – "

"Okay, too creepy. Next!"

* * *

"A gun-gun?"

"…Yes."

"Fine then. You desert travelers and your crazy weapons…"

* * *

"Ugh, it's finally over," Strom groaned, dragging himself out of class in a lethargic manner.

The lesson had taken a good 2 hours, including the time that they had spent inspecting their weapons and taking down notes on Dueling rules and regulations.

"It wasn't that bad," Blake responded.

"Speak for yourself, sister," Yang complained. "I did not need to know a 101 ways to get disqualified from a match."

"103, actually."

"Whatever."

"What's up next?" Alexis yawned.

"Grimm Studies, taught by a Professor Port. Sounds interesting enough," Ren answered, looking at the class schedule on his scroll.

"Pfft. As long as it doesn't involve note-taking, I don't care."

* * *

_I take it back_, Alexis thought bitterly, already feeling the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. _I rather take notes._

Grimm Studies, which everybody was looking forward to, had the unfortunate luck of being taught by Professor Port, a portly man with a jolly attitude, but ultimately lacked any real teaching skills. Nearly everybody was in a state of stupor; only Weiss was pay attention, the sole person to resist Port's boring speeches.

His teammates weren't doing such a good job; Strom had already given up and was slumped forward, drool leaking out of his open mouth. Laci was attempting to take down notes, but only succeeded in making chicken scratches. Vachi didn't even attempt to hide her non-interest, nonchalantly reading _Ninjas of Love _in the open.

Alexis wondered briefly whether the class would be better if it was taught by someone else, before his attention snapped and he spent the rest of the lesson dozing off in his chair, oblivious to even the sounds of Weiss snapping at Ruby.

* * *

At long last, the first school day had drawn to a close. The students of Beacon filed out of the classroom, making their way towards the mess hall or their dorms.

"Well, today blowed," Yang muttered, slumping herself heavily onto the table. "The only interesting thing that happened today was Oobleck running around like Ruby on sugar!"

"Amen to that," Strom sighed, sitting opposite the blonde. "Speaking of which, where's your sister?"

"Yeah, where's the Snow Queen too? And that Gunner Girl?" Rudy asked, glancing around at their table, and seeing that only the three girls mentioned were absent.

"Weiss went to talk with Port, while Vachi went back to the dorms to get a book," Blake responded.

"And I saw Ozpin talking to Ruby," Louise responded.

"Talking about what?" Laci questioned curiously.

"No idea, but it seemed important."

"Ugh..." Alexis groaned, placing his head on the table.

"Oh, what is it now?" Laci snapped at her partner.

"I just realized we'll be having Port for the next 4 years," he groaned.

12 heads turned towards each other, a blank look on all their faces.

12 heads simultaneously groaned and slammed their heads on the table.

_Time left at Beacon: 3 years 362 days_

* * *

**Yeah, I didn't like this chapter. Maybe the next one will be a little bit more fun.**

**As always, please R&amp;R, drop a like (This ain't youtube) if you enjoyed it so far, and I'll see you next week! Adios!**


	9. Chapter 8

**AN:**

**So the reason why this a week late is because I've fallen behind on alot of schoolwork.**

**Also I may have watched the entire first season of Brooklyn Nine Nine, as well as the last episode of Supernatural S9.**

**Man, that episode was intense.**

**Anyways, I still have some work to finish off, but for mostly I'm (almost) done with that so updates should go back to the norm soonish.**

**I have some things to talk about:**

**1\. Have you heard the new RWBY Theme, 'Time to Say Goodbye'? It's pretty good; plus RWBY S2 Opening was just released this week. Go check it out, it's pretty rad.**

**2\. My official school term is almost over, but I got an extra week of lessons over the month-long holiday, so expect some delay.**

**3\. I'm going to remove the Bonus Chapters, but they will be reuploaded in another story along with some other stuff.**

**4\. For the Q&amp;A, I'm gonna be changing some details. I'm going to shorten the period from 4 to 2 weeks, but you can post your questions on the review section. PMs get priority though.**

**Speaking of the Q&amp;A, the first to be on the hot-seat is...**

**'Drumrolls'**

**Alexis Maven!**

**In case you don't know what's going on, I'm holding a Q&amp;A session for each OC in the story so far. Just submit any questions you want answered by either PMing me or posting a comment in the review section.**

**Go submit any questions you have! In the meantime, R&amp;R and enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Support**

The entire room simultaneously flinched as the sound of crushing wood reverberated throughout the hall. With the upcoming Vytal Festival, Professor Goodwitch decided that it was time for the students to begin trial matches with each other, in order to better prepare themselves for the Festival's tourney.

Alexis couldn't help but wonder if that was a wise decision, as he watched his leader dodge yet another overzealous punch from the Beacon's very own "Sweetheart."

"C'mon Strom, kick her ass!" his sister yelled, caught up in the fight's intense atmosphere.

"You're not helping!" Strom shouted back, pausing to block one of Yang's punches with Wrath, only for it to be sent flying through one of the hall's windows.

"Go get 'im, Yang!" Ruby cheered, bouncing up and down on her seat.

The blonde didn't reply; too busy chasing her prey with a maniacal grin on her face.

"Just give up, you'll die quicker," Rudy loudly advised, causing some of the audience to snicker and chant "give up".

"That's not an option!" the blue-haired leader of SALV yelled, rolling away as a cascade of wood splinters showered the hall's floor.

"As much as it pains me, Rudford is right. It would be in your best interest to surrender," Allistar suggested.

Strom's retort died in his throat as a hand grabbed him by the collar. With one hand, he was completely lifted off his feet, and was brought face-to-face with his opponent, noses almost touching.

"You're gonna have to pay me back for doing all that running," the blonde smirked, already pulling back one of her fists behind her head.

The entire crowd winced in pain and sympathy as a sickening crunch echoed throughout the auditorium.

* * *

"That had to be the most pathetic match ever," Laci commented through a mouthful of salad. "Of all time."

"Lay it off, would you sissy?" Strom groaned, pressing an ice-pack onto his face. "I'm too busy being in pain."

"Pfft, whatever."

Strom wasn't in the best of moods, having come back from the match with a concussion, a bruised eye, a broken nose and a minor ankle sprain.

"How did you manage to sprain your ankle anyway?" Allistar asked.

"Must have sprained it during all that dodging I did," Strom muttered.

"I told you to just give up," Rudy snarked.

The injured bluenette didn't reply, muttering darkly to himself.

"So, did she say what you'll have to do for her?" Alexis questioned, gesturing towards Yang who was busy being enraptured by Nora's story.

"Not yet," Strom shrugged, pausing to shift the ice-pack to the other side of his face. "I just hope I don't die from whatever she's planning. "

Alexis didn't reply, shifting his attention towards Jaune, who had just stood up.

"Besides, he's not only a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everybody," the blonde told Pyrrha before leaving.

"Who's he talking about?" Alexis whispered to Rudy.

"Cardin Winchester. Jerk's a grade-A bully," he grunted back, glancing at the nearby table, where the armored-clad hunter and his team were currently harassing the bunny-eared Velvet.

"And Jaune's just another one of his victims," Allistar muttered, his eyes fixated on the blatant discrimination. "Utterly deplorable."

Alexis inwardly sighed, watching the retreating form of Jaune.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the blonde leader of JNPR became more withdrawn; shunning his friends and hanging out with team CRDL. Only Pyrrha seemed to know the reason behind his change, but refuses to tell; only giving the same answer over and over again.

"Jaune knows exactly what he's doing. Who am I to judge?" she would snap at the questioner.

But there wasn't any time to contemplate Jaune's strange behavior; the first-years have just received their first field assignment.

"Guys, I got the details," Strom declared as he strode into team SALV's room.

"Where're we going?" Alexis asked behind his book.

"Someplace called the Ruins of Áki. It's about a 2-hour flight from Beacon."

"We're going treasure-hunting?" Laci queried, her eyes brimming with excitement at the promise of treasure.

"Something like that. Some archeology group wants us to map the entire thing," Strom answered whilst consulting his scroll. "It isn't that big; just a couple of square metres. We leave around 7 tomorrow."

"Might as well get ready," Alexis said, shutting his book and getting off his bed. "Laci, can you and Vachi go pack some things for the trip while Strom and I will go pop over to the city for supplies?"

"Sure," his partner replied, already beginning to drag out a travel knapsack from a pile underneath her bed.

"Yeah, good plan. Except… I can't come with you," Strom said hesitantly.

"What? Why not?" Alexis questioned suspiciously.

"The thing is… I got a message from Yang. She wants to see me."

"Is this about the favor you own her. Fine," Alexis stated. "I'll be okay on my own."

"Great. Thanks," Strom beamed before exiting the room in a fast walk. "Wish me luck!"

"...Bet you 50 that he dies," Laci quipped after checking that her brother was out of earshot.

* * *

"I think I got all of it," Alexis wondered aloud as he stepped outside the store, checking for the umpteenth time in the plastic bags he was carrying.

"Yeah, got all of it," he affirmed, spinning around and bumping into...

"Jaune? What're you doing here?"

"Oh, me?" the blonde answered nervously. "Getting some fresh air, that's all."

"We're near a trash processing plant."

"We are?" What a coincidence," Jaune babbled, getting flustered.

"What is that box? Why is said box making buzzing noise?" the brunette pointed at the small brown box under Jaune's arm.

"Oh, you know, Rapier wasps," Jaune said as nonchalantly as possible.

"Rapier waps," Alexis deadpanned. "You hate those things. You ran out of the room screaming the second Port released a bunch of them."

"What? No, I like them. Love them," Jaune denied.

"This is about Cardin, isn't it?"

The blonde stood expressionless for a moment, before slouching dejectedly.

"I messed up big time," he sighed, slumping onto a nearby bench. "I have to do whatever Cardin tells me and Pyrrha's not talking to me."

"So, life's the pits?" Alexis questioned, sitting next to Jaune.

"Yeah. The absolute pits."

The two sat in silence, the night sky twinkling above them.

"Your teammates are really worried about you," the brunette claimed. "She doesn't show it, but Pyrrha's pretty hurt."

Jaune didn't reply, staring dejectedly at his feet.

"As the leader, shouldn't it be your job to make them, I dunno, less worried?"

"But I'm no good," Jaune complained. 'What use am I as a leader if I don't have any thing going for me?"

"Pfft. Being a leader isn't just about being the best of the best."

"What do you mean?"

"Ruby's more hyperactive and childish than Nora. You're suffering from severe self-doubts. Strom's pretty unfocused most of the time. And Allistar's a pompous ass," Alexis continued, listing each name with his fingers.

"But..."

"But they have their teammates to fall back on. That's what makes a good leader: someone who is able to rely on his allies for help if he or she fell down."

Jaune sat in deep thought for a while, before letting out a huge sigh.

"You know, you're easier to talk to than Ruby."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Alexis smirked. "So, you going to get rid of those wasps?"

"Not yet. There's something... I have to take care of," Jaune answered.

"Eh. Suit yourself. Now come on. I don't want to wake up late for my trip tomorrow."

* * *

**Once again, I would like to remind you guys that there is a Q&amp;A session going on right now. Please post any question you want or you can PM your question straight away.**

**As always, please R&amp;R, it helps me out alot if you guys leave any constructive criticism about my writing. I want to improve so that more people can enjoy this story.**

**Adios!**


	10. A Very Long Overdue Update

**A Very Long Delay**

Hey guys.

The reason for this post is to update you guys on the progress of Chapter 9, as well as explain my lack of updates for the story.

Simply put, I'm under a lot of stress, mainly from schoolwork and upcoming exams.

If you don't know, I'm in the IB Diploma Programme, meaning that I have a lot of coursework to do, some of which I have yet to finish. As of right now, I have a lot on my plate. My procrastination doesn't really help me either.

With final exams approaching this November, I have to really start studying right now if I want to make it to my dream university. Not that I have one, but I'm considering options. If I screw up, I don't get another shot, so this is kind of my make-it-or-break-it moment.

What does this mean for any story I upload, you may ask?

As of right now, I'll be switching from a weekly posting of "Blazing Hope" to a biweekly or a monthly posting, depending on which is more stable for me. Chapter 9 will be out hopefully within the first week-and-half of July.

Unfortunately, I will have to put the Q&amp;A on ice, mostly because I feel that there is not enough character development. I mean, what's the point of doing a Q&amp;A if there's no character depth in the first place?

I will be focusing more on one-shots, some revolving around RWBY and Fire Emblem, and other things that I show interest in.

Since November is my exam month, I'll be uploading infrequently from the second half of September to the first half of November. Even after that, I'm not sure what's going to happen, as I may go overseas as a form of celebration. December will be the month when I'll be free (mostly) again, so expect that to be the peak month.

So that's what 2014 looks like to me. 2015 and 2016 are stuff that I'll delve into at a later date, since my national service falls into those two years.

So that's all I have to say. Hopefully you guys understand.

In the meantime, go read some other fanfiction, watch a couple of movies (No HTTYD2 spoilers pls), write your own stuff, go study, do your own thing.

Peace.

-Jason Scout


	11. Chapter 9

**AN:**

**Well, this took FOREVER.**

**Finally, after weeks and weeks of delay after delay...**

**I managed to deliver it. Chapter 9.**

**Also I wrote some oneshots relating to the FE:A universe. So you should go check that out. 'Shameless Self-Advertising'**

**For now I decided to take it slow, so that's the reason why this chapter's kinda short.**

**For those that don't understand what's going on, read the previous chapter; it explains alot.**

**So what's going to happen now?**

**1\. RWBY:BH will now be uploaded at most 2 times a month. Because ever-growing pile of work. 'le sigh'**

**2\. New FE:A project being developed; this one will be uploaded sometime late July - early August.**

**3\. Got two ideas for RWBY oneshots; will be done PSA style.**

**4\. Still trying to come up with ideas for oneshots.**

**5: Still trying to ladder on Hearthstone to Legend.**

**TL:DR Chapter 9 finally up, now I can finally run off into the sunset.**

**'Cackles manically'**

**'Jumps on airspeeder and rides off into the horizon'**

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Ruins of ****Áki**

Landing smoothly on the town's solitary landing area, the Academy Dustship finally finished its 4 hour journey, to the appreciation of a particular passenger.

"Are you doing okay?" Alexis asked gently from outside one of the ship's few bathrooms. "Strom is going to go look the town with Vachi, and he asked me to wait for you."

A small pitiful whine emitted from the stall, before the sound of retching filled the air once more.

"I guess not," Alexis muttered, wincing slightly.

Still a little green in the face, Laci stumbled out of the bathroom, clutching her stomach with one hand and leaning on the wall for support.

"Never again," she groaned out, dragging her feet in a lethargic manner towards the ramp.

Alexis didn't say anything, not mentioning the fact that they had to board the ship again back to Beacon for his own safety.

* * *

The air was filled with the hiss of rapidly cooling metal and grinding of whetstones as the duo walked down the cobblestone street. The hollers of shopkeepers filled their ears as well, arms waving and beckoning the new arrivals to check out their ware.

Alexis took in the sights, marveling at the ancient art of forging weapons from raw metal and dust, a time-consuming but more personal way than the present-day mass manufacturing of weapons.

He would have stayed behind to behold the glory of the old crafts, were it not for the mission, and the constant reminders from his partner to hurry up.

* * *

"This is starting to give me déjà vu," Alexis groaned to himself.

Having walked around the cobblestone streets for an hour, the duo had come to the conclusion that they were lost. Again.

"Where the hell are they?" Laci exasperatedly yelled after walking around for half an hour.

Alexis considered heading back to the Dustship and contact Strom from there, when he heard shouting in the distance.

"What's was that?" Laci asked, turning her head towards the source of the noise.

Before Alexis could protest, Laci grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the direction where the sound came from.

* * *

"Desecrators! Blasphemers!"

Still towing Alexis behind her, Laci managed to find her brother within the center of a large crowd, having what seemed as an argument with a very important looking elderly man, who barely reached Strom's chest.

"Look, we're not treasure hunters," Strom reasoned, Vachi hovering near his elbow. "All we want to do is – "

"It doesn't matter what you're doing!" the old man screamed, spittle flying everywhere. "Entering the ruins is sacrilege! Violating the ancient shrine of the Time Goddess is nothing short of unforgivable desecration!"

"Gah!" Strom shouted, throwing his arms in the air. "For the umpteenth time, we're going to map it out! We're not going to touch anything!"

Before the old man could continue on his tirade, Laci grabbed Strom with her free hand. She then turned to look down at the elder, giving him the deadliest of stares.

"Where's the ruins, old man?" she questioned coldly.

The elder visibly withered under her stare, rapidly losing his spirit to talk back.

"Urk…"

Without any further prompt the old man pointed towards the nearby hills.

"Thank you," Laci huffed, turning towards the hills and began walking towards them, still dragging the two male members of her team as Vachi tiptoed nimbly behind her.

"Defilers! Intruders!" the old man screamed behind them.

* * *

The interior of the ruins seemed to exude an atmosphere of melancholy and despair. What was once a pristine shrine for an ancient idol has now fallen to disrepair and time. Moss climbed and twirled around the decrepit walls and pillars, while dirty grey concrete rubble littered the floor, having fallen from the once towering roof. Tinted windows once polished to perfection now stood uncared for, grim and dust covering their surfaces. Majestic paintings and murals now laid faded, washed away by the torrents of rain.

"Ironic that this used to be a sanctum to a goddess of time," Strom noted to himself, before turning around to his fellow hunters. "Might as well spread out; we need to make up for lost time. Make sure you sync your scrolls so that we can keep tabs on each other."

"Fine." "Gotcha." "Okay."

Syncing their scrolls up at the same time, the four parted ways, each taking a different direction in the vast intramural of the Áki ruins.

* * *

Deep within the lower levels of the ruins, the individual pattering of feet from above echoed within the vast recesses of the catacombs.

Bouncing off the curved intricate walls, the noise amplified with each echo, trying to find escape in an area where light hasn't reached in centuries.

A new sound soon joined with the echoes, a multitude of scampering of tiny feet that seemed to come from every direction, even above and below.

There was something beneath the surface.

* * *

**'Comes back'**

**But wait, there's more!**

**Consider this somewhat of an apology for keeping you guys waiting.**

**'Rides back into the sunset whilst cackling uncontrollably and sipping a 7-11 Slurpee'**

* * *

**Bonus: Yang's Rather Innocent (?) Request**

Hesitating slightly, Strom steeled himself for the inevitable.

_Oh gods, this isn't going to end well for me,_ he thought solemnly to himself.

Taking a final breath, the blue-haired faunus braced himself…

And knocked on the door that led to Team RWBY's room.

Stomach tied in knots, Strom could feel the stress building on him as agonizing seconds passed.

Finally, the door opened slightly, just enough to reveal the curiosity-oozing silver eyes of Ruby Rose.

"Oh hi, Strom," she chirped. "Whatcha doing here?"

Before he could reply, the door slammed shut in front of him, only for it to be reopened fully moments later, but instead of Ruby peering curiously at him; it was now Yang leaning on the doorframe.

"Sup, Blue Boy. See you got my message," she smirked.

"Erm…" Strom muttered, unsure of what to say as he tried to ignore Ruby's attempts to escape from the laundry pile that Yang had pushed her into. "Why did you call me?"

"Why, to invite you, of course!" Yang announced, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Invite me?" Strom repeated. "To what?"

"To the first inter-coed team sleepover!" the energetic blonde exclaimed. "That means both boys and girls."

"Err…" Strom stuttered, getting even more confused by the second, before managing to steady himself. "What's the catch?"

"Oh, nothing," Yang innocently smiled. "No secret tricks, no strings attached. Already got permission, so it's not breaking the rules or anything."

"Okay…" Strom muttered suspiciously. "When is this… sleepover?"

"Right after our mission!" Yang explained. "Think of it as a celebration over not dying."

"Alright then," he answered back, still caught by surprised at the nonchalant announcement. "We'll be there."

"Great! See you there!"

And then the door slammed shut on Strom's face for the final time, leaving the boy with unanswered questions and confused thoughts.


End file.
